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Bciand Says Sword Dancers Repeated Changes in Stretch Stride Lost Derby Burchs Late Rider Switch Cost Him Preakness Mount; Looks to HollywoodCampaign By OSCAR OTIS * HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., May 13. — In an exclusive interview with this writer, Bill Boland, who rode Sword Dancer in the Kentucky Derby only to be narrowly beaten by Tomy Lee, today lashed out, by inference, at those who say that Bill Shoemaker, who rode Tomy Lee, "could have won on either horse." At the same time Boland revealed that, while he was not surprised in not being asked to ride Sword Dancer back in the Preakness, he was nevertheless hurt that the failure of Brookmeade trainer Elliott Burch to notify him earlier of the decision to switch to Shoemaker. He claims the delay cost him a chance to ride in the Preakness and on one of the contenders. In his first comment for publication fol-_ lowing the controversial Derby finish, Boland said, "I claimed foul at the time because I thought I had a good case, and although I havent seen the motion pictures of the Derby, reliable friends tell me the trouble was about 50-50 and Im content to let it rest at that. But nobody seems to take into account that during the trouble down the stretch, my horse was continually Continued on Page Eight Boland Answers Critics Of Kentucky Derby Ride Says Sword Dancer Continuously Changed Stride Through Stretch Continued from Page One changing strides and then at the end, he hung. -Shoemakers horse, to the contrary, didnt seem to me to be changing strides at all. I firmly believe that when both horses are at their best, Tomy Lee ,zs better than Sword Dancer. "As for the rumors going around that , Shoemaker sort of tricked me into a false sense of security when he hollered at me . at the head of-the stretch T hope you win it or "something like tthat, this simply isnt ; so, either". I went by him with a running horse, one that was going easily, and his ; horse was driving. In the first place, Shoemaker wouldnt do anything like that, and in the second place, even if he would have, I wouldo have kept on riding my best to the bitter end. "Sword Dancer may have been best on Derby Day, as some people seem to believe, but assuming that he was, a best horse cant win if he is changing strides in the crucial part of the race, which in turn I believe caused him to hang at the end. You dont win Derbys of the caliber of the last one with a horse that hangs. "As for missing the mount in the Preak-ness, it is just one of thase things, but try as I might, I couldnt get a hold of Mr. Burch until late Tuesday night. Then he said had bad news for me, namely, that the owner wanted Shoemaker to ride. But in the meantime, I had stalled off an offer to ride in the Preakness while vainly trying to contact Burch. The man told me finally that he could not wait forever and be caught short without a good rider at the last minute, so I told him go ahead and make other ar-rangments, which he did. Naturally, Im disappointed not to get a chance to ride in the Preakness as any rider would be." Boland arrived here the first of the week and has announced he wil ride throughout the Hollywood Park meeting. "I like it our here," explained Boland, "and Ive got a lot of good stakes opportunities here this summer. Matter of fact, a rider can make more money out here in California than he can in New York assuming he is riding at about equal suc- cess. But money was not the deciding factor, the real reason being that California is such a swell place to rac, and live." In tny event, Bolands Frank appraisal of the Kentucky Derby finish finally has brought all sides of the race under public scrutiny. And "Boland adds, "after the race, Elliott Burch didnt seem to think I rode anything but good, and he just shrugged off the result as being the outcome of a horse race. You cant win them all." Boland spoke evenly, measured his words, and there was no rancor in his tone. A seasoned veteran and winner of the George Woolf Memorial award at Santa Antita Park last winter as exemplifying the best riding traditions of good sportsmanship, Boland merely recited the facts as he experienced them. And with this off his chest, the incident, as far as he is concerned, is closed.
